Left Helpless
by Oxy the Moron
Summary: Wicked takes a dark turn in the Emerald Palace attic. Musicalverse
1. Fallen

AN: I've been feeling rather macabre lately, so here's a bit of a darker story.

* * *

><p>Glinda stood helplessly as she stared up at Elphaba, hanging off her broom as she spoke and glared down at the members of the Gale Force sent after her by the Wizard. She desperately wanted Elphie to drop this insanity and just come back to Earth, literally and figuratively! The determined girl couldn't up and leave it all! Glinda couldn't bring herself to think of anymore years at Shiz without her Elphie standing beside her with a deadpan comment for any situation! Glinda barely registered a few more Gale Force officers running in as she continued staring up.<p>

"Tell them how I am defying gravity!" Elphaba waved the broom and spoke to the fallen guards below her, daring them to tell the world about her incredible feat. "I'm flying high, defying-"

_**BOOM**_

Glinda's hands flew over her ears as an ear-splitting sound echoed throughout the emerald palace. The perky girl had no idea what the source of the sound was; all she was focused on now was the incessant sound of blood pounding in her ears. However, a scent also began to waver in the air. What was it? Ginda couldn't place her finger on what the familiar smell was. She lowered her hands as she pondered whatever she was sniffing, but also realized something else in the room. All she was hearing now was the heavy breathing of both her and the guards. No chanting or shouts from Elphaba. Glinda's bright blue eyes flew to the air in a frantic search for her friend, but she only saw the ragged old broom, now sagging slightly in the air. Glinda then gasped as she recognized the scent in the air as that of gun powder.

"Elphie…" Glinda slowly forced her head down as she silently prayed to the Unnamed God that she wouldn't see Elphaba.

But, lo and behold, there lie a figure in a black cloak, sprawled upon the wooden floor of the Emerald Palace attic.

"**Elphaba**!" Glinda made a mad dash for her fallen friend as she screeched and slipped past a few of the guards. She dove to the ground by her as she grabbed her friend's wrist. "Elphaba!"

Glinda's shrieks and cries were in vain as Elphaba's neck slumped over towards her, revealing her gray eyes, now lifeless and unmoving. The blonde shifted her friend's other arm, only to find a large gaping wound in her side, leaving quite a bit of blood on the floorboards. The red substance had spread quickly. Glinda hadn't even realized her knees and heels had been resting in it for the last minute or so.

"Elphie, listen to me!" Glinda choked on sobs rising in her throat as she lifted her friend's head, staring intently into her eyes, which had quickly glazed over. No final words come from her, even as Glinda shook her a bit and let loose several sobs and shrieks. The normally attention grabbing green hue of Elphaba's skin had paled considerably into a light green.

"Grab her." A gruff voice came from behind the pair as a large arm wrapped around Glinda's torso, hefting her off the ground.

"No, stop! Elphie! **Stop!**" Glinda's shrieks and squeals were ignored by the guard as he carried her back a bit from Elphaba's body. She kicked her legs and flailed her arms as she guard held her few feet above the ground. Bits of blood flew off her legs and frilly yellow dress as her legs flew through the air.

"Alert the wizard." One of the guards laid two fingers against the downed girl's wrist for a moment. "Suspect was taken down at the 15th hour, one musket shot. Close the scene."

Glinda had given up hope for escaping the guard who held her, and simply let her tears and sobs out. The guard she was in the arms of curtly turned on his heel and moved toward the stairs following a majority of the others while a few stayed up in the attic. Glinda let her body go limp in his arm as she simply let her legs dangle above the ground, swaying with each step. She was finally set down after a few minutes of walking in silence. The guard set her in a chair, as green as everything else, and left the room. Glinda made no effort to stand or leave, there was no need to. The guard eventually reappeared, a simple green flock in hand. He tossed it at her before he spoke.

"Change out of that dress and take a few moments." He opened a door to a small washroom across from her. "You'll be expected in the palace room in two hours to fill a report for the wizard."

* * *

><p>Glinda and Elphaba's return to Shiz was delayed by two weeks and without explanation, but when it finally arrived, a small crowd did show up at the train station. Nessa, Boq, Fiyero, ShenShen, and Pfannee all stood, eagerly awaiting for the arrival of the two.<p>

"I do hope Elphaba finally got the chance to get what she wants for herself." Nessa made idle chat as the five stood patiently.

"No doubt Glinda spent time in some of those high-end deluxe Emerald City boutiques." Pfannee spoke with a grin as ShenShen giggled with glee.

"The train is coming in!" Boq's call alerted everyone to the approaching vehicle. They all stepped a bit closer to the platform. The train slowed to a stop as a door stopped in front of the group, opening after a moment. There stood Glinda, a simple, short, black frock was all she wore, surprising everyone. Glinda was known for her fashion and accessorizing. However, they ignored this small fact as they approached.

"You're looking lovely as always miss Glinda." Boq offered a hand to help her off the train, ShenShen and Pfannee trailing along with large grins. Glinda wordlessly took Boq's hand and stepped down, briskly moving away from the train. Nessarose and Fiyero stuck by the door, peering in and hoping to catch sight of Elphaba. However, a minute came and the doors snapped shut without Elphie coming out of them. The pair became slightly worried and turned to Glinda, who was currently holding a small tissue to her eyes and shaking, the three others by her confused.

"Glin." Fiyero stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. However, the petite girl could not look up at him, as she shook and let out a sob and a cough. Nessa wheeled herself forward to her.

"Glinda, where's Elphaba?" She spoke calmly, beginning to get slightly concerned for her sibling. Glinda eventually lifter her head, making eye contact with the girl in the chair. The two blue eyes were red and puffy, tears building in them. Her lip quivered as she shook her head lightly, breaking into more sobs and cries, falling into Fiyero's arms. Pfannee and ShenShen each rushed to her sides, grabbing her hands and shooting concerned looks at the other. Nessa, now losing her confidence and patience, wheeled a bit closer.

"Where's my sister Glinda?" She spoke a bit more forcefully as she attempted to keep herself composed. Sharing her worry, Fiyero firmly gripped his girlfriend by the shoulder and held her a bit further from him, forcing her to look him in the eye. The blonde could only choke back a sob as she sat back on a bench, letting loose the tears and sobs she had been holding back.

"Elphie…" The situation began to click in everyone's mind as they slowly became aware of the full situation. ShenShen and Pfannee were the first to move, rushing to hug their friend from either side of the bench. Neither had a fondness for the green girl, but they understood that their close friend did.

"**Glinda!**" Nessa gave a shout and slammed her arms against the handles of her chair before beginning to cry as well. Boq crouched down and held the girl close, feeling to genuinely care for her for the first time. Fiyero had walked away a few moments ago, not saying a word as he set off for Oz knows where.

In a matter of moments, each of their lives had been changed for good.

* * *

><p>This was kind of intended for a oneshot, but if there's enough desire for a second chapter, I've got some ideas I can turn into something. So review please, and tell me if it's worth it. Thanks!<p> 


	2. Comfort

**AN: I decided to do some more work on this because at least a few people seemed to have liked it, and that's good enough for me.**

* * *

><p>Glinda sat in a solemn silence, her fluffy pink bed standing out against the bland black frock and gray shawl she had donned. She stared steadily at the ground, sniffling every now and again. The other side of the room was untouched, except for the shelves. Glinda had been quick to gather the few books sitting there, insisting they sit close to her, also resting on the best.<p>

"Glinda, you need to come out of this." These soft words were accompanied by a pair of hands resting themselves on the petite girl's shoulders.

Oh yes, she'd been so caught up in all her thoughts she'd forgotten Fiyero sitting there next to her. The prince had been with her nearly every moment since she'd returned to Shiz. As much as Glinda wanted to take solace in his affections and care, she just simply couldn't bring herself to feel right being at peace with anything.

"You can't continue like this." Fiyero's words fell on deaf ears, Glinda didn't bother to look up, let alone acknowledge him at all. She hadn't even spoken for days now.

This same silence and routine had begun to irk Fiyero more than slightly, and he was desperate to find some way out of it, for Glinda's sake, for Elphaba's sake. He swiftly turned the girl towards him, leaning her chin up towards him. He took a quick look into her eyes. Puffy, red, and mostly glazed over.

"Glinda, it's time to move on." Fiyero began steadily, wanting to ease Glinda into recovery. "You're strong enough to come through this, and come through a wiser, tougher person."

She stirred slightly. She was listening.

"Glinda, Elphaba had a passion, a very real and true passion." A hiccup from the blonde girl signaled the oncoming wave of sobs that were no doubt on their way.

"She wanted things to be better. She didn't just want things better for the animals, Glinda, she wanted it to be better for every last inch of Oz."

Though the small shivers continued from Glinda, it seemed she was mostly silent for at least a moment.

"Elphaba dreamed a dream of Oz in celebration and happiness, true, genuine happiness. She knew what she wanted, and she worked so hard to get it." Fiyero dedicated the next moment to looking Glinda deep in her eyes, really speaking to her. "And you can't let her be robbed of that."

Blue eyes widened at his statement, a few tears inadvertently spilling over her eyelids. Fiyero was still giving her that same intense look, he wasn't going to let her miss any of what he was saying.

Elphaba _had_ been a very passionate individual, and every word Fiyero had said was true. Elphaba knew where she was going in life, and she had been making good to get there from the start. In just under 20 years, it seemed that Elphaba had been ready to achieve more than Glinda could even contemplate. And there was so much more for her, so much more in a life that was taken for her.

"Elphaba had everything going for her." Fiyero mused, "And I do honestly believe I was a little in love with her."

This didn't shock Glinda. She'd been suspecting for a short while now, but never acting. She'd be damned if she hadn't come to love her as well.

"Fiyero..." Glinda at last spoke, pain dripping from the word. She threw herself in Fiyero's prepared embrace, finally ready to accept the comfort she had been so desperately craving. Tears and sobs poured from her once agan. However, these cries were not tears of sorrow, nor were they tears of joy. The emotions they carried were of bitter sweetness, as they acknowledged the true power of a legend that could now never be.

And through these tears Fiyero held the girl, her blond curls settling just below his nose, letting a scent that epitomised femininity waft into his nostrils. In this vulnerable state, Glinda bared her feelings for him, and he was grateful she allowed it. As she shivered against him, old feelings of his adoration for her returned. He moved back an inch, leaning his head into hers in a small peck on her lips. She fell against him once more as she let herself be cradled in his arms, muttering a single phrase from her mental exhaustion.

"Thank you Fiyero..."

She felt him his run his fingers down her curls as her head found a place to lie on his shoulder. It was astonishingly glorious to finally let herself give into the comfort, a wall of mourning and exhaustion finally taken down by Fiyero's efforts. It took her a minute to notice Elphaba's books had tumbled down to the carpet.

"We have to find Doctor Dillamond." She spoke softly, almost not wanting to leave the moment.

"Hmm?" Fiyero hadn't been listening much at all, savoring the embrace as much as he could.

With a little effort and willpower, Glinda pulled away from Fiyero, this time raising her voice a little more.

"We need to find Doctor Dillamond."

"Glinda, we've no idea where he is by now, it's been a week since he was dragged out of the classroom."

"I don't care, this is just something we have to do." An air of urgency in her voice was enough to convince Fiyero that Glinda had her heart set on this. And if she was committed to this, he didn't dare stand in her way.

"How do you propose we go about finding him?"

"I don't know." Was her only answer as she scooped up the fallen books. "Elphie had work outlined in her writing, Doctor Dillamond was vital in this somehow, we have to find him."

She moved her way to the door of the dorm, turning towards Fiyero as she turned the knob.

"I can't let her be robbed of this."

* * *

><p><strong>THE EXCITING next part actually won't be featuring Glinda and Fiyero, so look forward to next seeing them around chapter 4, and a different duo in chapter 3.<strong>


	3. Reflection

**And then I stopped being lazy and got another chapter out.**

* * *

><p>Nessa sat in her dorm, her wheelchair currently situated in front of her desk. A blank sheet of paper sat in front of her, a pencil lying next to it. She stared down solemnly, almost glaring at the paper. Despite her efforts to will words onto the paper, it remained as white as ever, as if mocking her with an unconscious aversion to being written.<p>

While the paraplegic girl had her feud with the sheet, Madame Morrible's elegant robes shuffled and stirred behind her while she stepped up towards the chair, intending to speak to the girl seated in it.

"Nessarose?"

"Hm?"

"You have a visitor, a charming little Munchkin boy residing in Briscoe Hall."

Thad be Boq. She detested her conflicted emotions; she'd be such a burden to him being as upset as she was now. She wheeled away from the desk, maneuvering her way to the door, opening it slightly as she peeked out to confirm her suspicions.

Sure enough, Boq stood there, worry and anxiety carried in his eyes. Her perked up slightly upon noticing her.

"Good to see you Miss Nessarose, I thought it wouldn't hurt to check on you and see how you're doing."

She didn't speak, but instead swung the door open, wordlessly inviting him inside. She made her way back to her desk once again, resuming her position with her passive-aggressive paper. Boq eyed her, confused.

"What are you up too?" He questioned, eyeing the paper.

"I have to write to father that Fabala was shot and killed." Came Nessa's blunt and mostly monotonic answer.

"Oh."

The tense air in the room was thick enough to be scraped with a butter knife.

"Miss Nessarose, I would once again like to express my grief that this tragic accident had to occur." Madame Morrible called half-heartily from the other side of the room.

"That wasn't an accident." Nessa answered indifferently, not seeming to mind ether way. Madame Morrible didn't want to upset the girl in such a vulnerable state, so she continued milling about, intending to keep to herself.

"Nessa, are you alright?" Boq was worried that such a dependent girl was so nonchalant about the loss of someone who was both a beloved sister and a caregiver, among other things.

The paraplegic girl sighed as she turned, facing the window. She stared out to the lawn of Crage Hall. "I'd suspect I'm not alright at all."

Boq laid a hand on Nessa's, both of which were folded in her lap.

"She was the closest person I've ever had in my life. Father of course was always willing to dote on me, but-" Nessa stopped for a moment to wipe at the tears now deciding to fall from her eyes. "Fabala has simply just always been there! She's the closest thing I've ever had to a mother figure, and she was still always making sure I was okay and getting along!"

By this point Boq had shifted to a full-fledged hug in his attempts to comfort the fragile girl.

"She was always so selfless, and I'd spent my last days with her wishing she was different! I'd kept hoping she wouldn't have been green, and I'd been hoping that for my benefit, Boq!" She coughed a bit as recent memories found their way into her mind. "I'd been so awful about it!"

Boq remained silent, unsure of what further comfort he was going to provide.

"It's going to be alright, Nessa."

"Will it?"

"It will."

Despite this attempted positive reinforcement, Nessarose still couldn't bring herself to believe any of it. She made use of her sleeve as she dabbed at the tears on her face.

"Come on," Boq insisted with a tug of her arm. "Let me treat you to a trip to the cafe, you can compose yourself and clear your head."

Nessa bit her lip and glanced at the sheet in worry. She really did need to pay attention to this.

"Oh, to hell with it, alright." She answered with a small smile, grateful for a distraction from all this panic and fretting.

"Watch yourself Master Boq!" Madame Morrible called playfully as the two students shuffled out of the room. With that, she also took the chance to prepare herself to head out. She had duties to attend to, and a train to catch.

She glided about the room, rushing her way around, attempting to find her various odds, ends, and knick-knacks.

With a few scribblings on some documents left at her desk, the headmistress was finally prepared to leave. She lifted two bags, one and extravagant green, the other a dull color reminiscent of rust. She toted the grander bag on her shoulder, leaving the other propped up against the side of her desk as she at last made her exit.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh god it's even shorter than the last chapter agh I'm sorry but next time I promise quality chapter<strong>


	4. Info

**AN: Sorry about a lack of updates, but school projects distracted me, and then studying for standardized testing and then all sorts of other messes. Blegh, hopefully this will be enough to appease anyone who cares about this silly story.**

**(It won't)**

* * *

><p>"I'm dreadfully sorry you two, I truly am, but there's just nothing I can do for you!"<p>

Glinda huffed as Dr. Nikidik turned away from them yet again. She and Fiyero had been questioning him about Dr. Dillamond for the last 20 minutes and not once gotten a scrap of info out of him.

"Sir, please, they couldn't really have just shoved you in here without any info about what became of Dr. Dillamond!" Fiyero stepped forward, fed up with this stalemate.

"As hard as it is to believe, that's actually _exactly_ what happened!" The newly employed professor threw his arms up in frustration. "The school officials marched in with a job offer and I took it, that's really as far as it goes!"

Glinda stamped her heel onto the floor as she groaned, upset that she wasn't getting her way.

"Well then where are we to go if we want to get some actual info?"

"Well I'd look to Madame Morrible!" Dr. Nikidik glared behind him. "She's the headmistress, she's the one who's left with the task of work release forms and other assorted paperwork!"

"I've tried that!" Glinda moaned as she leaned against the wall. "But with every sorcery seminar Madame Morrible become even more tight-lipped, if that's even possible!"

"Well if you can get into any of the records, you're more then led to Dr. Dillamond!"

"And just how are we going to do that?" Fiyero asked with growing agitation.

"I'll be damned if I have a clue." Dr, Nikidik sneered as he shooed the two students out at last. "Now out, out with you! I've put up with more than enough of this for today!"

* * *

><p>"It's a lost cause Fiyero." Glinda lamented through her hiccups, head resting against the prince's shoulder. "How in the world are we ever going to hope of convincing Madame Morrible?"<p>

Fiyero rubbed the arm of the girl next to him, slowly processing a handful of ideas.

The two sat together on a secluded corner of the Shiz lawn, avoiding the prying eyes of their fellow students. For now they had no class, but time to act was limited and currently fleeting.

"Glinda," Fiyero spoke with a sudden sense of urgency as he frantically patted Glinda's arm. "Glinda, look!"

The downtrodden girl looked up, glancing in the direction Fiyero had gestured in. It was Biq-no, Boq and Nessa, the latter looking fairly relieved.

"It's just Boq and Nessarose, Fiyero."

"Glinda, you don't get it, Nessa rooms with Madame Morrible in her private quarters!"

Within moments of this explanation, the blond had already leaped up, tearing her way across the grass towards the two.

* * *

><p>"...and so you see, it's just simply urgent that we look into this." Glinda looked desperately into Nessa's eyes, attempting to convey the grimness of their situation.<p>

Her sense of panic was not lost on the fragile girl in the chair. Nessa smiled her small smile, sad eyes reaching Glinda's. "Of course Glinda, I understand entirely, and I'm behind you. I think it's very noble what you're doing."

"Oh thank you Nessa, you've no idea what this means to me!" Glinda's arms snaked their way around Nessa's shoulders in a light hug, additional words of thanks coming from her here and there.

Nessa let her sit that way for a moment, attempting an awkward half hug to calm the slightly hysterical blond draped around her shoulders. "Alright then, come on Glinda, pull yourself together, we'd better get going."

"Oh! Yes of course!" Glinda spoke with a little exclamation, smoothing out her outfit. "You're right, let's just get going."

* * *

><p>The small party of four arrived at Madame Morrible's abode with little finesse, Nessa removing her key from a pocket on her vest. She hastily opened the door, ushering the others inside. "Quickly, quickly now!"<p>

"Wait," As they each shuffled in, Fiyero stopped suddenly, "We're going to need someone to watch at the door, in case anyone drops by unexpectedly."

Glinda's blue eyes widened at the notion. She spun herself to face Boq, shooing him out into the hall. "It's nothing personal Biq, we just need to make sure we aren't caught off guard!"

The last words were squeaked with moderate urgency as the large door was closed on the protesting Munchkin. "Right then, let's get down to it!"

"Let's." Nessa answered as she rolled her chair to the center of the room. "Alright, we're currently in her living area. Her room is back there, she has an office across from that, and there's a bathroom in the back, we'd best begin searching for anything that looks like any official paperwork."

"Gotcha'." Fiyero was the first to move, pulling open the drawer of a nearby end table.

"I'll be off in her room!" Glinda called as she scurried off too the hall near the back of the room.

"Well then, I suppose that leaves me to her office." Nessarose spoke mostly to herself as she stared down the hall Glinda had just sauntered off into. The perky girl had taken the left door into the bed room across the hall from the office the paraplegic girl was currently making her way into.

Inside her office Nessa was met with a dim atmosphere. The dark, royal red of the room was a rich color almost suited to that of blood, and ornate gold decorations dotted the lining in the walls and furniture. A perpetual fire burned at a grand fireplace, a charm the headmistress had shown to Nessa when she first showed up at Shiz. Two leather chairs faced the fire, and a large desk sat across the fire at the other end of the room.

The desk was a fine, sleek, and smooth piece, carved from very exclusive quoxwood, gold also embedded into the design. Nessa rolled closer, eyeing her own reflection in the finely polished surface. Another large leather chair sat behind the desk, this one being more reminiscent of a large throne fit for an Ozma.

Nessa's breath came steadily, slightly nervous in such an extravagant room. She'd only been in the room once or twice with Madame Morrible, and the seemed that much darker when she was alone in it. She moved forward, coming to the other side of the desk. Propped up against one of the carved legs, she saw a large bag, ancient with a fading color that looked almost like rust. The paraplegic girl scooted forward, opening the clasp. Fresh and aged papers alike nearly poured out, pointing in every direction outside the open fabric.

"This is it!" Nessa whispered despite herself, almost squealing in glee. She pulled the bag onto her lap, briskly exiting the room back into the main living area, finding her giddy companions twirling each other about in a half hug, half waltz position.

"Oh, oh, Nessa, we did it, we found it!" Glinda giggled as she pulled herself away from Fiyero, showing to Nessa a stack of papers. "There's sure to be all sorts of info in here!"

"Glinda," Nessa spoke softly, recognizing the papers. "These are menus for the commons calendar."

Glinda's brow furrowed in confusion as she looked at the pages again, pouting slightly. She stared at the papers again for a few moments before throwing them to the ground with a shout and a stomp of her foot. "Why does that even need to go through Madame Morrible?"

"Glinda, don't worry, I got them!" Nessarose spoke encouragingly to the blond currently seeking comfort in Fiyero's arms. She thrust the bag out into the open, revealing her discovery. "It's full of her official papers, we can find something in here!"

The brunette would have continued, but she was cut off by another hug from Glinda. "Oh Nessa, you're wonderful, truly remarkable!"

"How are we going to do this though?" Fiyero questioned, adjusting his jacket. "Are we going to take a look right here and now, or should we get out of here and analyze what we've got somewhere else?"

The group found themselves unable to ponder this for long, the slamming of a door against a wall interrupting them.

"Hide, hide, hide!" Boq half-whispered as he rushed into the back hall, not once looking back or saying anything more.

"What? What's happened, who's out there?" Nessa hadn't gotten a response, as Glinda and Fiyero had already followed Boq's example and fled into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them.

* * *

><p><strong>GASP SHOCKING PLOT TWIST AND ONLY EVERYONE SAW IT COMING<strong>

**I'll try to be more timely with my next update, no more being a terrible person for that long a period of time!**


	5. Search

**Oops sorry I'm a terrible person and haven't updated. If it's any consolation, I have another chapter now!**

* * *

><p>Nessarose jumped in her chair slightly at the sound of a knock on the door. After the rest of her cohorts had fled in such a hurry, she found herself alone. She took a few moments to muster up what was left of her courage as she forced herself to open the door. Standing there, she found a student she had never seen before, a girl, who looked confused.<p>

"Oh, I'm sorry, do I have to wrong room?" She glanced down at a sheet of paper in her hand, wavy red hair falling around her face. She idly swept away at the loose curls. "I'm Margam, I was hoping to find Madame Morrible! I've been meaning to drop something off for her, and I just haven't done it yet, so I was hoping to catch her now, if that's at all possible!"

Nessa found herself falling silent yet again, staring at the girl. A brief silence ensued before she realized what was actually going on and spoke back.

"Oh yes, um, these are Madame Morrible's quarters, I reside here too. Um..." Nessarose struggled to form coherent words as she reached out her hand. "She's gone right now, why don't I just give this to her when she gets back?"

"Oh, that would be delightful! Thank you so much!" Margam thrust the paper into Nessa's hand a bit awkwardly, smoothing out a few crinkles here and there. "I have to ask though, how do you think it would go over if a student were to advo-"

Nessa hardly registered the other girl's babbling as she closed the door, not even looking at the paper as she wheeled herself back the way the others had fled, screaming at the door.

"Why in Oz did you rush in here like that, yelling?" A few eyes apprehensively looked out of the now ajar door. "It was just a student, someone we don't even know!"

"Calm down now, Nessa..." Glinda was the first to step out into the open as she approached the Thropp, hands held up, as if in some form of defense. Fiyero and Boq followed. "Let's just calm down..."

Nessarose hardly regarded Glinda as she turned herself around, turning back to the discarded bag.

"Just help me look at this!" Hands dug into the folds of the frail bag, lifting papers here and there as a pair of brown eyes skimmed over each, looking for something worth noticing. "We need to work quickly if we want to find any info on Doctor Dillamond before Madame Morrible gets back!"

"She's right." Fiyero spoke curtly as he removed his blue jacket, kneeling down to contribute to Nessa's frantic search. A stack of papers was pulled out by Glinda and Boq, both quickly sorting out the papers, looking for something of relevance.

* * *

><p>Their search led on for nearly an hour, but it was a fruitless endeavor. The surplus of papers proved too much for even four individuals, none of them finding anything to assist in their cause. The closest any of them came was when Fiyero found a old Shiz newsletter with a few of Doctor Dillamond's candid quotations printed in it.<p>

"When was the last time she cleaned this scandalicious sack?" Glinda asked incredulously as she pulled out another stack of papers. "Back when there was an Ozma Regent?

"Well we can't exactly give up now, she's due back this evening!" Nessa spoke as she carried on her rushed shifting of the papers, tossing a few onto the floor every now and again. Each of the four had compiled a small stack next to them, growing ever larger with more and more irrelevant sheets. Nessa's had grown the quickest by a longshot, piling nearly to a foot and a half in height. This was more than could be said of Glinda and Boq's four inch stacks.

"Then what do you propose we do if Madame Morrible is to return?" Boq questioned, digging through another pocket of the sack.

"I don't know, Boq!" Nessa raised her voice a tad as she leaned back in her chair, clenching her fists a bit too tightly. "That's why we've got to keep going!"

"Nessa," Fiyero's voice brought Nessa's attention to the Winkie across from her. "Look."

In the prince's hand, two papers were bound together, one a plain white and the other a dull green with a golden Oz symbol stamped onto the bottom right-most corner of the sheet. The green sheet seemed to have come from the desk of The Wizard himself, a small scrawl of his signature lying along a small line near the bottom of the paper. The more average white sheet was a work release form, detailing the departure of Doctor Dillamond, as finalized by Madame Morrible's signature.

"Sweet Oz, is that really what I think it is?" Glinda's bewildered expression came closer the the sheets, not believing what she was seeing to be true.

"It is!" Boq smiled as he pulled at one of the paper's corners, scanning the writing placed onto the sheet in a light print.

"Oh, thank the Unnamed God." Nessarose breathed a sigh of relief as she scooted up a bit, craning her neck to receive a better view of the two sheets in Fiyero's right hand. "Go on then, does it say anything out of the ordinary?"

"Yes, it does in fact." Fiyero's cold expression became fairly stoic as he continued running his eyes down the paper. "Doctor Dillamond was called upon to wait in the Emerald city for easier access to upcoming meetings with The Wizard, the first of which is scheduled for 4 days from now."

"That can't be legal!" Glinda laid a hand against her chest, shocked by the words she was hearing.

"Oh but it is." Boq's voice was noticeably eager as he pointed a finger near the center of the green paper. "It's right there, The Wizard has decreed it on account of suspicions of Animal advocacy!"

"Well then we have to go to the Emerald City! We've got to go and help Doctor Dillamond!" Nessarose wheeled her chair back a foot, looking over her friends. "We need to get tickets for a train ride tomorrow morning!"

"Nessa, that's impossible!" Boq rose to his feet.

"No no, no it's not, it can't be!" Nessa cried indignantly, shaking her head feverishly.

"Calm down, there's just no way we're going to manage that on such short notice!" Boq grabbed the frail girl's hand attempting to prevent her from flying off the handle.

"There is a way."

All heads in the room turned to Glinda. She knelt there on the floor, looking away from the gazes of the others. She seemed to be fighting off tears.

"What way?" Fiyero approached, wrapping an arm around Glinda, trying to coax an answer out of her. "Glinda, what do you mean?"

Glinda looked up, blue eyes meeting brown. She sighed, clutching Fiyero's loose hand.

"It was..." Her white teeth dug into her lips in a fit of indecision. "It was something the Wizard offered me, something he tried to extend to me before I left."

"What did the Wizard offer you?" Nessa asked, eyes prying into Glinda.

"He offered me a position of power." Glinda rested a hand on her forehead. "He thought I could be what the public needed to have a new and refueled faith in Oz. He made so many exquisite offers and bribes in an effort to get me to agree and join him, but after all that had happened, I just couldn't find it in myself to say yes. But before I left, he told me that the offer would remain open, and gave me a pass for a train route to the Emerald City, as well as some Emerald Passport that would give me some kind of vague jurisdiction, in case I ever needed to speak to him again."

"Glinda," Boq spoke up. "Are you telling me you can get us into the Emerald City with some form of political immunity?"

"Yes, I suppose." Glinda answered after a brief silence. "That's exactly what I'm telling you."

* * *

><p><strong>Next update coming sooner than several months later.<strong>

**Hopefully.**


End file.
